Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 18
Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism:
TICs & TIMs
Dimethylmercury Toxicity
Dr. Karen Wetterhahn
• Initial blood mercury level:
– 4,000 mcg/L
– nl 1-5 mcg/L; toxic > 200
• Chelated with DMSA
• Exchange transfusion
• No other Hg source identified
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal/TXQAcr.shtml
Module One - Terrorism by Fear and Uncertainty: Delayed Toxic Syndromes
18
Laboratory values returned 169 days after exposure from sampling a week earlier:
whole-blood mercury, 4000 µg per liter (normal range, 1 to 8; toxic level, >200);
urinary mercury, 234 µg per liter (normal range, 1 to 5; toxic level, >50).
An intensive investigation including sequential sampling of hair to identify the time of
exposure, identified no other plausible source of mercury exposure.
December 2008 Version 2.0 Page 326